


Do You Know Your Enemy?

by SecondaryWorks



Series: The Enemy Series [1]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Gen, More platonic than anything, a bit of reyux if you squint, also more about rey and her journey, doesn't follow the last jedi, set after force awakens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-21
Updated: 2018-02-27
Packaged: 2019-03-22 01:27:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 19,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13753359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SecondaryWorks/pseuds/SecondaryWorks
Summary: When an unexpected visitor is brought to the Resistance base, Rey realises she might not be on the right side. She has to question her loyalties, and discover the best way to fight the war that is slowly eating the galaxy alive.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there. So, I'm back aha. Took a lot longer than expected, but here we are. I actually started this fic back in June 2016, wrote about two chapters, outlined a couple more, and then completely lost motivation. I never deleted those chapters though, and every couple of months I would go back and read over them, hoping inspiration would come. It took seeing The Last Jedi, and watching Rey and Hux still. not. interact. to bring me back to this fic. But I'm so glad it did, because it's finally done and I'm actually kinda proud? 
> 
> Anyway, here it is. There's eight chapters, and I'm going to try to upload one each day. Hope you enjoy!

The chaos was unlike anything Rey had ever seen before. It was so much worse than whenever someone had brought a large scavenge to Unkar Plutt, or when the Rathtars had gotten loose on Han and Chewie’s ship.

People were running all over, and there was shouting in the halls. Everyone seemed to be doing something, and yet nobody appeared to know exactly what to do. The irony was not lost on Rey as she pushed her way through the hordes of Resistance personnel.

Finn had managed to contact her a few minutes ago, just before the madness began, telling her over their personal comms that he, Poe, and the other members on their mission to Arkanis were about to enter the base. The connection was awful, but she’d pieced together enough to work out that they had captured someone. Someone incredibly important, if the insanity around her was anything to go by. Almost immediately after their connection ended, Rey had been summoned by Leia, which was where she was now headed.

Making her way to the makeshift interrogation room in the barely used section of their new base on Corellia proved to be quite the challenge, but eventually Rey was able to push through the crowds and enter an empty corridor. Rey paused for a few seconds to catch her breath, as well as catalogue the route she had taken. She still hadn’t been able to explore this facility properly, as ever since they had abandoned their base on D’Qar, both the Resistance and Luke had kept her busy. There always seemed to be more troops to command, more techniques to learn, however Rey never felt as though she was progressing in her training. Luke constantly shut down her attempts to persuade him into teaching her more advanced techniques and abilities, telling her to be patient. 

Rey had thought she could handle it, but until Finn had messaged that they were bringing back a prisoner, she hadn’t realised just how much she craved action. Things were too stagnant for her liking. In her heart she knew why Luke was stopping her from developing her abilities, but Rey had so far been able to keep her frustrations to herself.

Shaking her head to clear those thoughts and stay on task, Rey continued on, her curiosity eating away at her. She had absolutely no idea who their new prisoner could be; all she knew was that it wasn’t Kylo Ren. She couldn’t feel him nearby, like Luke was training her to do. And it also wasn’t another Force user, since she would have been able to feel them as well. So not Ren, and not one of his Knights. Who else was there whose capture would elicit this much of a reaction?

Turning a corner, Rey was surprised to see Finn pacing outside one of the doors that lined the corridor. His shoulders were hunched and his face pinched; even if Rey couldn’t feel his anger through the Force, what her friend was feeling would have been no mystery whatsoever.

“Finn, what’s wrong?” Rey was careful to keep her voice even, not wanting to aggravate her friend further. 

As she stepped closer, Finn finally stopped pacing as he recognised her voice. He looked up at her, and Rey could see both uncontrolled anger and extreme agitation pooled in his eyes. He seemed to relax slightly as she drew closer.

“Rey, thank the stars you’re here.” Finn stepped forward and threw his arms around her. As Rey returned the hug, she was quickly reminded of the two weeks he had been away, and how much she had missed him. She had also missed his wonderful hugs; he held her tightly, and she could always find comfort in his warm embrace.

After a few moments, Finn slowly pulled away, and Rey could tell that he had calmed down significantly.

“Why are you out here? Where’s everyone else?” Rey inquired softly.

Finn’s cheeks turned pink, and he rubbed the back of his neck with one hand as he used the other to gesture towards a door on his left. 

“They’re in there. General Organa sent me out here until I’d calmed down.” Finn replied sheepishly, glancing shyly towards her.

Rey couldn’t help but laugh, as she slapped Finn’s shoulder playfully. A small smile creeped onto his features as the rest of the tension left him.

“Well it appears to have worked. Come on then.”

Moving past Finn, Rey opened the door which he had been pacing in front of. Inside, Rey recognised Poe, Leia, and Luke, plus Admiral Statura and Admiral Akbar standing on the far side of the room. She stepped closer to Poe as Finn followed her in and shut the door behind them. 

Poe turned, but instead of cracking one of his signature smiles at her, his face was grim. Rey could feel the heavy atmosphere in the room, with all the eyes facing towards what appeared to be a one-way mirror. As Poe returned his gaze to the glass, Rey copied him, and found herself staring at a young man with bright orange hair, sitting at an empty table. He was wearing a crisp First Order uniform, and his hands were chained to a small, metal arch on the table.

Some of the tension from the room left Rey as she took an involuntary step forward. She had never seen hair that colour on a human before. It was beautiful and intoxicating, drawing her gaze away from everything else she could have focused on. Rey briefly wondered what it would feel like; would it be like her’s, or Finn’s, or something else entirely.

Before she could get too lost in her own thoughts, Leia spoke up. 

“Are we sure there’s not a tracker on him?” Leia addressed the room, but her gaze never strayed from the orange-haired man. Rey could hear the uncertainty in the General’s voice, something that she had never heard coming from Leia before. It was this more than anything that made the severity of the situation click in Rey’s brain.

“I’m telling you, General, we searched every inch of him.” Poe responded. “There was no sign of any tracker. In fact there wasn’t much of anything. All he appears to have are the clothes on his back.”

“I don’t like it.” Akbar began. “If the rumours are true, Hux is a strong one. He shouldn’t have been captured that easily.”

“Hux?” The name was unfamiliar to Rey, and she found herself repeating it before she could think. It felt strange on her tongue, like those were three letters that should never have been brought together to make a name.

“General Hux, commander of the Finalizer.” Finn clarified. His voice had taken on a much darker tone, as he stood with his arms crossed. “Starkiller was his little project. So was the Stormtrooper program.”

Ah. That explained why Finn’s hostility was stronger than anyone else’s. He had a personal vendetta against Hux, a score to settle. Rey felt a spike of anger in her chest, as well as a desire to let Finn have his way with the man that had wronged him. There was also a hint of guilt over her brief fascination with the orange hair.

Before that train of thought could continue, Leia spoke again. This time her voice was soft, almost like she regretted even thinking of the question.

“What if Ben is tracking him through the Force? This could all be a ruse to find our new base.”

“He can’t.” Luke finally spoke from where he stood at the back of the room. “I’ve masked his signature. No Force sensitives outside this base can feel him.”

Rey saw Leia turn out of the corner of her eye. She could only guess what passed between the twins in that moment, but she was sure it had something to do with Ren and their mutual feelings of loss and heartache over the mere mention of him. Rey however felt nothing but satisfaction, the memory of marking Ren forever causing a brief smile to flicker on her features. He deserved much more than that, but hopefully when they inevitably met again, she could truly make him pay for killing Han.

She was brought out her thoughts by Admiral Statura before she could get too lost.

“What have we been able to get out of him?” He asked.

“Nothing yet.” Poe answered. “We tried on the ship for hours, but he wouldn’t say a word. No matter what we did, he just sat there, looking bored.”

“I think he’s embarrassed.” Finn spoke up, his tone almost proud. Rey and a few others turned to him, and Finn continued. “Come on, a First Order General captured by a few Resistance fighters, one of whom’s an ex-Stormtrooper? That’s gotta hurt.”

A couple of the others murmured in agreement, yet Finn’s reasoning didn’t sound right to Rey. From the way Hux was casually sitting, one leg crossed over the other with his fingers intertwined gently on the table, Rey could tell he was anything but embarrassed. It was almost like he was mocking them, claiming the room as his own with nothing but his mere presence. There was also a sliver of arrogance in his eyes, something Rey definitely wanted to punch away.

During her observations, a conversation had begun around her. They were discussing how to proceed, with almost everyone having a different idea. Nothing truly made sense to Rey, as she was still lost in her own thoughts. As the volume of the voices around her grew, Rey made her decision.

“I’ll speak to him.”

Silence met her statement, as everyone appeared to be taken back by her boldness. A few moments passed, and Rey hoped that they were at least considering her proposal, rather than simply thinking of ways to shut her down. As she glanced around, Rey could tell that most of them were indeed letting her words wash over them as they weighed the possibilities in their minds. The only person who didn’t seem even consider her words was Luke. As Rey caught his gaze, she realised what he was about to say before he had even opened his mouth.

“No, Rey.” Luke’s voice was firm, and left almost no room for negotiation. But this wasn’t a training exercise, this wasn’t her asking if she could try lifting heavier objects. This was real work, something she had been denied for months. Therefore Rey had no qualms about talking back to her Master this time.

But before she could speak, Leia spoke for her.

“I think Rey should speak to him.” All eyes were now on Leia as she continued. “While she’s part of the Resistance, she hasn’t yet been on any main missions. And she’s not a Jedi yet either.”

“So you’re saying she’s more neutral than any of us?” Poe asked politely.

“Mostly, yes. She’s also the most impartial person in this room.” Leia’s reasoning was sound, and Rey could tell she wasn’t the only one who thought so. The feeling in the room had changed from questioning and uncomfortable to one of certainty.

“Maybe they could bond over their mutual hate of Kylo Ren.” Finn jabbed from beside her, his anger from before fading away slightly.

“Wouldn’t they have gotten along?” Poe sounded confused, and the feeling appeared to be reciprocated in everyone else.

“Hell no.” Finn almost laughed. “They both answered to Snoke, and the rumours said they were always trying to one-up each other. Hux hated Ren, trust me.”

Well that information certainly gave her a good starting point. Feeling more sure of herself, Rey began moving towards the door. When no one moved or spoke, she realised it was because she had their permission.

This was going to be her biggest test, Rey knew, as she closed the door behind her. She moved towards the door to the interrogation room, nerves rising within her. Not only that, but it would be in front of Finn, Poe, Leia, and Luke. She couldn’t fail, she wouldn’t. She would get this damned man to speak to her if it was the last thing she did.

Taking a deep breath, Rey pressed the open button beside the door, and stepped inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And chapter one is done! Don't worry, there won't be a fakeout or anything, they will meet and interact in the next chapter. See you then!


	2. Chapter 2

“Ah, the scavenger.”

Well, that was unexpected. All Rey had done was step inside the room, and Hux had turned towards her. He had begun smirking, and Rey could feel his superiority complex from where she stood. She suddenly realised that she had no plan of attack other than bringing up their mutual dislike of Ren, but she couldn’t very well lead with that. Instead, she opted for the safest option she could think of, one that would invite Hux to keep talking.

“You know who I am?” Rey asked as she moved to sit opposite Hux. She knew he was tracking her every movements, as she could feel his eyes on her the whole time.

“Of course.” Hux’s voice was dripping with smugness, and Rey fought off a smile as her plan worked. One of the many things she had learned on Jakku was that if you wanted a man to talk, all you needed to do was give him an opportunity to brag. “I was there when Ren brought you onto Starkiller base, and I was the one who had to drag him out of the snow after your fight. You’re the one who bested Kylo Ren.”

Rey was shocked to hear the tiniest amount of pride in Hux’s voice, almost like he was trying and failing not to praise her for taking down Ren. 

“So you’re not a fan of him then?” Rey leaned forward as she spoke, resting her elbows on the table and crossing her arms. In truth Rey had no idea where she was trying to take this conversation, but the mere fact that he was talking to her after refusing to speak to anyone else had to mean something.

“Not at all, my dear.” Hux followed her lead and leaned in as well. “In fact, I think it’s a shame you weren’t able to finish the job.”

“I could have.”

Rey froze as the words spilled unbidden from her mouth. Hux’s assumption that she hadn’t been strong enough to make the final blow had hit a nerve deep within her, and Rey found herself once again speaking without thinking. That was too many times in one day that she had involuntarily spoken. It was made even worse by the fact that Hux’s smirk had grown, almost like he had been pushing for that admission.

Rey could practically feel the gaze of those behind the glass digging into her, waiting for her to continue, to clarify. Despite desperately wanting the ground to open up and swallow her, Rey scrambled for anything that would make her last words make sense for the Resistance members watching.

“But that’s not the Jedi way. I chose to show him mercy instead.” The lie sounded weak to even her own ears, and from the way Hux’s eyes sparkled, Rey knew she hadn’t even been close to convincing him. Never mind the fact that she didn’t even know what the Jedi way was back then, there was also the fact that she had hesitated before continuing for far too long. 

After a few more moments of simply staring at each other, Hux reclined in his chair. His nonchalance was even more irritating to Rey now that she had been put in a vulnerable position. All she wanted to do was leave, but Rey forced herself to remain seated. She had promised herself that she wouldn’t fail, so she needed to stick it out. She told herself to just ignore the last few moments, and press on with the actual interrogation. However, Hux began speaking before she could even open her mouth. 

“What was it like, standing over Ren, knowing you could end him?” Hux’s voice had taken on a darker tone as he inclined his head forward just so. “Did you feel powerful? Did you feel a rush of adrenaline, pumping through your veins?”

Rey flinched, as Hux’s words cutting deep. He was describing, almost perfectly, the power she had felt that day in the snow. Rey could see it all happening, in her minds-eye. She could feel each heartbeat as she advanced on the defeated Knight, his life in her hands. She could hear that voice, deadly and seductive, whispering _kill him, KILL HIM-_

“I felt nothing.” Rey’s voice was strong as she snapped out of her memories. “Nothing except pity for a man who had just been defeated in every possible way.”

Hux’s eyes still sparkled, although Rey could now see curiosity peaking through. She tried to steady her heartbeat, while being incredibly grateful that her back was to the mirror and her mental block was up. If Luke or even Leia had been witness to her thoughts just then, there was no way they would ever trust her again. Not that Luke trusted her much now, but that was a thought for another day.

“What do you mean? How else was Ren defeated?” The curiosity Rey had seen in Hux’s eyes leaked into his voice. Rey could tell he genuinely didn’t understand, and she felt a brief rush of pride at knowing something that he did not.

“Just before our battle, he killed Han Solo. Ren thought killing his father would set him free.” Rey said, anger spiking at the mention of Han’s slaughter at the hand of his own son.

“And you don’t believe it did?”

“No, I don’t.” Rey leaned back, attempting to appear more in control than what she was. “In fact I think it made his suffering worse.”

“Intuitive little one, aren’t you?” Hux sounded like he was trying not to laugh, and Rey felt her irritation spike once again at his belittlement of her. 

Taking a deep breath, Rey reeled her anger in. Knowing that continuing to drive the conversation in this direction would get her nowhere, she decided it was time to get the answers she had come for.

“Enough about me and Ren.” Rey delicately kept her tone in check, not letting her frustrations seep through. “You seem awfully content for a prisoner.” 

“Do I?” 

The amusement in Hux’s voice was infuriating, as he seemed even more at home that he did before. A small smirk crept onto his face as he gazed at her, his eyes filled with a smugness Rey desperately wanted to punch away. What was with this guy? He had just been captured by the enemy, forced into a small interrogation room, chained to the table, and yet all he wanted to do was relax in his chair and have a normal conversation with her. There was no terror, no hesitation, no anxiety, not even below the surface. It was almost like -

“You want to be here.” Rey’s eyes widened as the realisation hit her. 

For the first time, there was a flicker of doubt in Hux’s eyes. It was only there for a second before Hux blinked it away. Not that Rey paid too much attention to that; she was too absorbed in her own thoughts. They were an absolute mess, with hundreds of options racing through her mind all at once. 

“But why would you want to be here? Unless -“

Rey jumped up, not bothering to finish her sentence. She had finally worked out Hux’s plan; she only hoped she wasn’t too late.

Waving her hand, Rey used the Force to unlock the chains around Hux’s wrist. Immediately, there were muffled shouts from behind the glass and the sound of multiple pairs of feet moving towards the door. Rey paid it all no mind as she vaulted over the table. She grabbed the front of Hux’s uniform, yanking him upwards as she regained her footing.

The urgency Rey was feeling clearly didn’t affect Hux, as he appeared more amused than ever. Not wasting any time on words, Rey simply gripped Hux’s coat and pulled it violently from his shoulders, It was a difficult process as Hux made no move to help her; he simply stood there, smirking down at her as she removed his clothing.

“I feel like I should have bought you a drink first.” Hux’s voice was teasing, although Rey could also tell he was slightly impressed at her ingenuity. 

Unclipping Hux’s belt with another wave of her hand, Rey then moved her hands to the top of his shirt. She quickly found the clasp and the top of the zipper, pulling it down hurriedly as sounds of movement right outside the door reached her.

Not bothering with civility, Rey simply tore Hux’s black undershirt open with her hands, and pushed the fabric aside. Gazing at his bare chest, Rey observed his skin closely as she moved her hands down, searching, searching - 

There. Near the bottom of his ribs on his left side was a small, new scar. The skin was still red around the edges, and the stitches were immaculate. Anyone who had glanced at it wouldn’t have thought much, but Rey knew better. As she leaned in, she could see a tiny black rectangle sitting just below the skin, barely visible to the naked eye.

Pulling her hands back, Rey leant away from the General, a hollow feeling settling in her chest. Glancing up, she briefly caught Hux’s eye. He merely winked at her, smirk wider than ever.

Before anything more could be said or done, the door slammed open, with Finn being the first one to fall through. Rey leant around Hux, and stared at Finn and the others she could see behind him.

“The First Order knows where he is, and they’re probably on their way right now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun Dun DUN. Aha hope you enjoyed their first meeting. Thank you so much to everyone who has read and left kudos - please feel free to comment and let me know your thoughts, good or bad. Chapter three will be up tomorrow, hope you're all having a wonderful day xo


	3. Chapter 3

“Evacuation of the base is underway General. We’re getting everyone onto transports as we speak.” Poe sounded strangely calm as he updated the group. Rey was the complete opposite; her heart was racing faster than it had on even her most strenuous scavenges. Although, she supposed, Poe had been through quick evacuations a few times now.

“How long until all the transports are away?” Leia asked, also calm.

“Half an hour, maybe less.” Admiral Statura supplied. “Most of our large equipment still hadn’t been unloaded from when we first arrived.”

Rey heard the frustration seeping into Statura’s voice. It seemed as though no matter what they did, there was no outrunning the First Order. Almost like they were always two steps ahead of the Resistance. The strain of constantly being on the back foot was beginning to show.

“Prioritise personnel, then equipment. I don’t want to lose anyone today, if it can be helped.” Leia’s voice softened, and Rey could feel her sadness through the Force. Too many lives had been lost, and Rey knew Leia remembered and mourned each one. “Continue overseeing the evacuation, Admiral. Then get yourself onto a transport.”

“Yes, General.” With that, Admiral Statura left, leaving only the five core members of the Resistance standing together.

The group was silent for a short moment, and Rey could tell the severity of the situation was hitting everyone in turn. She felt the tension rising, as her friends accepted the fact that, despite Leia’s wish, there would be bloodshed today. 

Finally, Poe broke the silence. “What do we do with that First Order slime ball?”

“We could take him with us.” Rey considered. “I’m sure I could disable the tracker.”

“There’s no point. He would rather die than tell us anything, trust me.” The anger in Finn’s tone cut Rey to the core, not only because she felt her friend’s pain anew, but also because she had been slightly hoping to keep Hux close. 

Not only would it be incredibly advantageous to have him around to supply the Resistance with details about the First Order, but he also knew Kylo Ren and Snoke better than anyone, apart from the two themselves. In the interrogation, Rey had had the feeling that Hux had seen and felt firsthand the terror that Ren and his Master could inflict. That kind of information would help herself and Luke prepare for their next inevitable conflict, and could provide the edge they needed to win.

Before Rey could voice her thoughts, Leia spoke.

“I have to agree with you, Finn. His and Rey’s mutual dislike of Ben won’t be enough to turn that man.” 

“So what’s the plan then, leave him here?” Poe sounded confused. “Even if he doesn’t tell us anything, that’s a huge bargaining chip to be giving up, General.”

“The First Order won’t compromise anything for Hux.” Luke’s voice echoed around the almost empty room. He stepped forward slightly, completing the circle around the discussion table. “He would be easily replaceable.”

“How can you be sure?” Rey asked.

“The Empire continued without Grand Moff Tarkin. And because if he was indispensable, they never would have sent him to us.” Luke stared at the table as he spoke, and Rey felt a sting that he wouldn’t even look at her. She knew he was upset and worried after her interrogation of Hux. Rey had been naive to think that her mental block would be powerful enough to completely keep out the man that had taught her how to do such a thing.

“We’re getting nowhere with this.” Leia sounded decisive. “I propose that we -“

Suddenly the foundations of the base shook violently, and Rey threw her hands forward onto the table to stop from falling. The others weren’t so lucky, and Rey moved to help Finn to his feet while Poe assisted Leia to steady her footing. 

“What the hell was that?” Finn exclaimed.

“The First Order.” Leia was back to being calm, which unnerved Rey more than anything. “They’ve arrived.”

“Admiral Statura.” Poe barked into his comm. “What’s happening out there?”

“TIE Bombers, Commander.” Statura’s commlink was shaky yet understandable. “There doesn’t seem to be too many but we can only assume this is the first wave.”

“No point in running now.” Poe’s face was grim as he addressed Leia. “Permission to engage, General?” 

“Granted.” 

Poe barely waited for Leia to finish before tearing out of the room. Rey could hear him shouting in the commlink for BB-8 to meet him at his X-Wing. 

“We need to help him.” Finn grabbed Rey’s as he made for the exit. “Come on Rey.”

“No.” 

The steady ferocity in Luke’s voice was enough to stop Finn and Rey dead in their tracks.

“What?” Rey was thoroughly confused, at first thinking maybe she had misheard. But as she took in Luke’s steadfast expression, it dawned on her exactly what her Master had meant. “You expect me to sit back and watch our friends be slaughtered?”

“You’re not going out there, Rey.” Luke glanced at Leia as he spoke, and there seemed to be a moment of silent communication between the twins. Rey felt anger bubbling as they appeared to come to a mutual decision within a matter of seconds. “You’re needed for something else.”

“Which is what, exactly?” If Rey expected Luke to meet her anger with his own, she was thoroughly disappointed. His expression was not one of frustration, but sadness. Almost as if she, in her rebuttal, was proving some theory Luke was concocting about her tethers to the Dark Side of the Force. 

“You’re staying here, and guarding General Hux.”

“What?!” This time it wasn’t Rey who was confused, but Finn. “With all due respect Master Skywalker, we need Rey out on the front lines.”

“What we need, Finn, is for everyone to fulfil the duties asked of them.” Leia stepped towards the pair, imploring. “Your place is out on the front lines, but Rey’s is here. There’s no one else I would trust with this, Rey, believe me.”

Rey felt her anger subsiding as she stared back at the General. As frustrated as she was with Luke and his continued distrust of her in the face of battle, she would never take out her anger on Leia. The older woman deserved nothing but respect and loyalty, both of which Rey was ready to give. Reaching towards the table, Rey grabbed Hux’s overcoat which she had taken from the interrogation room.

“I won’t let you down, General Organa.” Without even glancing in the direction of her Master, Rey turned and stormed out of the room. As she exited the room, she could hear Finn continuing to argue with the Skywalker twins. It wouldn’t last long, she knew, especially since Finn would want to join the fight himself.

Taking a brief detour through the personnel quarters, Rey opened her door and tossed the overcoat inside. She would decide what to do with it later. That is, if the base wasn’t blown up by the First Order. Either way, she wasn’t going to hand it back to that smug bastard.

After closing the door, Rey continued on her way, trying desperately to ignore the battle sounds reverberating throughout the base. She lost her footing again a few times, as the TIE Bombers continued their assault. Maybe they would miscalculate shot, and Hux would be blown up by his own men before she even got down there.

Then again, it hadn’t been Rey’s lucky day. And sure enough, as she strode into the corridor and glanced into Hux’s cell, there he was. 

“Ah, Lady Rey. To what do I owe this pleasure?” The smugness flowed through Hux’s voice, and it was all Rey could do not to open the door and strangle him. All she would have to do was imagine her Master’s face in place of his, and it would be almost too easy -

No. Stop that. Rey shook her head, trying in vain to clear her thoughts and focus on preparing for battle. Turning around, Rey faced away from the First Order General, trying to convince herself that she could forget about him if she couldn’t see him.

“Wait.” Hux sounded confused for a short moment, before his ego kicked back in again. “They’ve sent you, to guard me? This is almost too perfect.”

Clenching her jaw, Rey pulled her lightsaber from her belt. This was going to be a long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damn Luke is mistrustful these days. Please know that I love Luke, and I had no idea I would hit the nail on the head when it came to his characterisation in Last Jedi. Crazy right? Anyway, big chapter coming up. Hope y'all are still enjoying, let me know your thoughts, good or bad. Have a fantastic day xo


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long chapter comin' at cha!

The sounds of the battle continued to rage, however they were slightly muffled now that Rey was within the depths of the Resistance base. Trying to suppress her anger at being sidelined, Rey closed her eyes and reached out with the Force. She could almost feel the fear of her fellow Resistance officers as they watched one First Order ship after another close in. She could feel the sweat on their brow, could hear the heaviness of their breathing, and their screams as their friends came under heavy fire - 

“Are you going to ignore me this whole time?”

Clenching her teeth, Rey’s eyes flew open. She swivelled around to glare at the red-haired General.

“Yes.”

“That’s not very hospitable of you.” Hux smirked as he stepped closer towards the bars of his cell. Closer to her.

“I’m not in a very hospitable mood.” Rey faced away from Hux once again. “Especially to those who are murdering my friends.”

“Not that I would call my officers ‘friends’, but how many do you think your friends killed when they destroyed Starkiller base?” The light teasing was gone from Hux’s voice. “How many men and women died then? Or when the Rebels destroyed the Death Stars during the days of the Empire?”

“It was a necessary evil.” Rey hated the uncertainty in her voice. In truth, she had never thought about the losses that the First Order sustained. As much as she hated to admit it, Hux was right to a degree. How many Stormtroopers were like Finn, just waiting for a chance to escape? How many worked on that base because they had no other choice?

Shaking her head slightly, Rey tried in vain to push those thoughts out of her mind. She needed to be sharp if and when the Stormtroopers found them. 

“‘Necessary evil’?” Hux spoke up again. “Is that what you believe? Or is that what they want you to believe?”

Rey grit her teeth, before turning and stalking towards Hux’s cell.

“What is it exactly that you’re trying to achieve here?” Rey stopped a few steps from the bars. From him. “I’m loyal to the Resistance, to Leia. She’s trying to stop the First Order before it becomes the Empire.”

Hux leaned closer, his voice steady. “And I’m trying to keep the galaxy that her senate neglected from falling apart. That’s why it’s called the First Order, my dear. One system, one army, to protect and maintain order throughout the galaxy, not just on inner rim planets.” Hux gripped the bars in front of him, but Rey didn’t shrink back. “We can establish a lasting era of peace. But we can’t do that while fighting the Resistance, and we can’t do it without you, Rey.”

Snapping her head back, Rey realised how transfixed she had been to Hux’s voice. Feeling guilt begin to build, Rey tried to distance herself from both Hux and the conversation. But she couldn’t help but be curious as to his final words.

“Why would you need me?”

“You underestimate your own importance Rey. Your true destiny is something far greater than anything you could achieve here, with these petty, deluded fighters.” Hux’s eyes pierced her, and despite herself, Rey began to get lost in his voice again. “With the First Order, you could be great. You could be the most powerful Force user alive. You alone could keep the balance, and help us keep the peace. Rey, you could save the galaxy.”

Quashing the feelings bubbling in her stomach, Rey turned violently on her heel and stalked a few metres away. She released a breath she hadn’t even realised she had been holding, before closing her eyes tightly. The sounds of the battle came back to her, louder now. It helped to ground and centre her, as she attempted to push Hux’s words out of her mind.

“This is nothing more than a manipulation to turn me against my friends.” Rey opened her eyes, determined. “It won’t work.”

A few moments of silence passed, and Rey thought that maybe Hux had decided to leave it, and her, be. But, as it turned out, her fortune still hadn’t turned.

“I couldn’t help but notice your list of loyalties before. It’s interesting.”

Huffing, Rey took the bait. She knew if she didn’t, he would continue talking regardless. Better to keep one hand on the controls rather than none. And, although she hated it, she couldn’t help wondering what he was referring to.

“What’s interesting?” She threw the question over her shoulder, refusing to turn back.

“You mentioned Leia and the Resistance.” Rey just knew he was smirking; the smugness in his voice was palpable. “It just occurred to me that there was one particular name you missed.”

“Which was?”

“Your Master of course. Is it true Skywalker himself is training you?” 

Rey flinched. She hadn’t even realised. Of course, deep down she knew if she ever had to choose between the twins, it would be Leia every time. Luke had been … overprotective? No, that wasn’t it. Overly cautious sounded better. Rey knew if it had been up to Leia, and Leia alone, she would be out on that battlefield right now, protecting her friends. But Luke had to step in, had to sideline her. Like he had done ever since she had brought him back from Ahch-To.

Feeling frustration and anger seeping into her, Rey clenched her fists. Something the General behind her must have noticed.

“Ah, I take that as a yes then.” Hux laughed, and Rey could have sworn her blood began to boil. “So why aren’t you out there with him, fighting my men? Have you been bad? Is this, am I, your punishment?”

“Luke doesn’t trust me to fight.” 

Rey stiffened as she realised she had spoken aloud. No one, least of all the General of the First Order, was supposed to know how she truly felt about her Master. Hoping that Hux hadn’t heard, Rey’s left eye twitched when he proved that he had.

“Now that is unexpected.” Rey heard the shuffling of Hux’s feet as he pressed closer into the cell bars. “Why wouldn’t he trust you, of all people?”

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Rey quickly debated on what to do. Hux clearly wasn’t going to let up, and she had been dying to tell someone how she felt. Originally, she was going to tell Finn, but after he had raved about how amazing it was to meet and work with the real Luke Skywalker, legendary Jedi Master, Rey couldn’t bring herself to. She wouldn’t crush his hopes about the man, especially since he had seen and escaped the terror the galaxy was facing firsthand. 

Poe was another option, but while Rey trusted him, she didn’t trust herself to know what he would do. The Commander had proved himself to be a ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ type of man, and Rey wasn’t sure that he would be able to stand by and continue to let Luke belittle her and stall her training.

Finally, there was Chewbacca and Leia. On one hand, Chewie was still recovering from the death of his best friend, and Rey didn’t want to burden him with her own problems. On the other, Leia was Luke’s twin. She would trust him more than anyone in the entire galaxy, and if Luke didn’t trust Rey, Leia would support him. Rey thought that Leia would probably try to convince her that Luke knew what he was doing, that he had reasons for all the frustrating things he did and said. Beyond that, she was also the leader of the Resistance. She didn’t have time to solve petty disputes between her people.

Unclenching her fists, Rey ultimately decided to throw caution to the wind. After all, wasn’t caution the reason she was standing here, talking to the enemy rather than fighting them?

“He doesn’t trust me because he’s afraid.” Rey turned back towards Hux, who was leaning against the bars, staring at her intently. “He put all his hope into Kylo Ren, and when Ren betrayed him, Luke lost all hope. I think he sees the same potential in me. But he doesn’t see, doesn’t understand that I’m nothing like Ren. I’m more than just a babysitter. I could be a Jedi, I should be!”

The anger in Rey’s voice didn’t surprise her. This had been building for months, and to finally let it out felt better than Rey could have possibly imagined. The relief was slightly dampened by the fact that Hux was the person she was venting to, but Rey knew without this opportunity she might never have let everything out. She might have exploded with Luke, and given him a valid reason to leave her behind and never come back.

Rey was jolted out of her thoughts by Hux.

“I’m sorry.”

“You’re … what?” Rey was incredibly confused, especially since it sounded like Hux was being sincere.

The General cast his gaze away, now staring at the floor. His voice developed a sharp edge that Rey hadn’t heard from him before. “I know what it’s like to feel as though you can never be good enough. As though no matter what you do, you’ll always be a disappointment.” At that, Hux glanced up at her. He seemed surprised to find her looking at him, listening. Rey could swear she saw the same debate raging in Hux that she had just internally gone through. To expose personal secrets to a complete stranger was a questionable decision, but Hux apparently came to the same conclusion as she did.

“Did you know my father was part of the Empire?”

Rey blinked. “No. But it would certainly explain a lot.”

“Yes, I suppose it would.” Rey could have sworn his lips twitched into an almost smile, before falling flat once again. “He was a Commandant for the Imperial Academy. When the Rebellion and New Republic laid siege to the Empire, my father and I were saved from the slaughter. I was put in charge of creating a new army, to mould children into the soldiers they would one day become.

“But I was intimated by the older children, and my father didn’t take kindly to my failures. He called me weak and pathetic, and had no desire to pass on his knowledge. It was only after a Grand Admiral beat him into submission that he accepted me as his successor. And do you know what I realised then, Rey?”

Rey’s throat suddenly felt dry, as Hux exposed his past. She could only shake her head, and Hux smirked before continuing.

“I would achieve my destiny, but in order to do so I would have to let go of my past. I needed to improve upon the old, and develop new strategies instead of remaining stagnant. My father was the weak and pathetic one, and I was the true leader the First Order required. Trying to impress my father was my mistake, and once I saw past him, a whole new world showed itself to me.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Rey’s voice was soft as she stepped closer.

“Because I see myself in you, Rey.” Hux’s tone was gentle yet his voice was strong. “I see you making my mistakes. You have yet to look past Skywalker. He’s part of the old world, Rey, the one that failed to keep the peace. Luke Skywalker let the galaxy down, but that doesn’t mean that you will. If you could only learn to walk your own path, you could become the thing you were meant to be.”

Rey couldn’t argue with his criticisms of Luke. The Rebellion was supposed to be the saving light, and yet not even a lifetime later a new threat had risen. The Empire had been reborn anew, the Republic had fallen, and a Rebellion had formed to fight the same battles it had thought were over. 

Hux’s point about her finding her own path however …

“And let me guess, I could become what I meant to be with the First Order?” Rey scoffed. “With you?”

“Yes.” Rey was taken back by Hux’s bluntness. “You could leave here with me, and together we could right the wrongs of our so-called heroes. We could bridge the gap between the Resistance and the First Order, and finally bring peace to a galaxy that hasn’t been whole in a long, long time.”

“What about your beloved Supreme Leader? What about Kylo Ren?”

“The Supreme Leader wants power, and Ren is a childish, emotional idiot. Their ends will come in time, and with them gone you and I can mould the First Order into what I always intended it to be. A movement that will establish a lasting era of peace.”

Rey couldn’t deny that his proposition sounded intriguing. Deep down she knew that when push came to shove he would surely choose power over peace. But she had been so frustrated with Luke and the Resistance, and so his words affected her more than they should have. 

No, her anger was clouding her judgement. Her place was here, with her friends. The Resistance was right, the First Order was wrong. There was no time for doubt. Besides, he was probably lying; just another manipulation to add to the ever-growing list.

“I would never join you.” Rey hated how unconvincing her voice sounded, even to her. “The First Order is the enemy, the bad guys.”

“It’s a matter of perspective, Rey. From where I stand, the Resistance are the enemy, the bad guys as you so eloquently put it.”

“I don’t know why I’m even listening to you.” Rey mentally shook herself, trying to clear her head and rein in her emotions. “Your men are out there killing my friends as we speak.”

“Are they?” Hux sounded sarcastic. “And how do you know that?”

Rey glared at the pompous General. “I can hear it, and I can feel it!”

“I assure you, Rey, my men are doing exactly what I’ve told them to do. Why would I murder your friends when the only reason I’m here is to talk to you?”

“What - what are you talking about?” Rey was baffled; nothing Hux was saying was making any sense. “You’re here because you wanted to find and end the Resistance.”

“That is part of the reason.” Hux’s eyes twinkled. “We did want to find the Resistance, but we wanted to find you more. I’ve told you Rey, you’re the key.”

“You’re lying.”

“Why would I be?” Now Hux sounded frustrated. “Tell me Rey, why haven’t my men broken through your ranks yet? We’ve been talking an awfully long time. Don’t you think someone would have found me by now?”

Rey took a few steps back, distancing herself from Hux. She hated to admit it, but the more she thought about it, the more obvious it became. The First Order was tracking the signal coming, quite literally, from Hux. They had his exact location, and most of the Resistance forces had already been evacuated when the First Order arrived. They were fighting with a skeleton crew, and yet Hux still hadn’t been found?

“I gather from your silence you’re seeing the truth in my words.” Hux’s mouth twitched between a smirk and a smile. “I might also add that not only did I give us time to talk, but I’ve ensured most of the Resistance fighters will be spared.”

“Why would you do that?” Rey couldn’t wrap her head around it. Surely she couldn’t be this important, could she?

“A pledge of good faith, my dear.”

Rey felt as though the planet had shifted underneath her. None of this should make any sense, but somehow, it did. Hux had been sent to find her specifically, meaning he wasn’t as replaceable as Luke believed. No, he wasn’t sent because he meant nothing. He was sent because he was the only one who could spin a tale that might have a chance of turning her. 

Once again, her Master was wrong. He had thought that keeping Rey from the fight would stop her from becoming whatever he feared. Instead, he had pushed her right into the First Order’s plans. 

Not for the first time, Rey wondered if Luke was truly worthy of his status as ‘legend’. Or if perhaps, he had succeeded once, through sheer luck and determination, but was never meant for anything more. 

Before that train of thought could get any darker, Rey’s comm came to life.

“Rey! Are you there Rey?” 

Rey clutched the comm like a lifeline after snatching it from her belt. She had never been more relieved to hear her friend’s voice. “Yes, I’m here Finn. What’s happening, are you alright?”

“I’m fine for now-“ There was a break as Finn yelled incoherently. “Sorry, had to duck into cover. But Rey, the First Order has broken through our ranks. You’ll be having company any time now. I’d get to you, but-“

“It’s fine Finn, keep to your post. I’ll be okay, I promise.” Rey lowered her voice, attempting to keep the conversation private.

“You better be.” Rey could almost hear the smile on Finn’s face. 

She tucked her comm back onto her belt, before turning and igniting her lightsaber.

“Attempting to fight is unwise.” Hux’s voice sounded behind her. “My men are exceptionally trained; they will kill you unless you ask me to stop them.”

“Let them try.”

The first few Stormtroopers were easy to pick off, as all Rey had to do was deflect their fire back at them. Very quickly, however, she was outnumbered. It felt as though she was single-handedly taking on an entire army with nothing but a laser sword. Rey fought hard, desperately hoping help would arrive. But it never did.

After what felt like an age, one of the Stormtrooper’s shots rang true. Rey cried out as it caught her in the left shoulder. Tumbling down, from both pain and sheer exhaustion, Rey deactivated her lightsaber just before she hit the cold, hard floor. Once the ‘troopers realised what had happened, they rapidly advanced, with one leading the charge, blaster raised. 

Staring down the barrel of a Stormtrooper blaster, trying desperately not to pass out from pain and fatigue after defending a First Order General was not how Rey had expected to die. In truth, she had expected to die on the Jakku desert, waiting for her family to return. Then, after she met Finn and joined the Resistance, she expected to die surrounded by friends, and with the knowledge that they had restored hope and freedom to the galaxy.

Never had she expected that she would meet her end here, outside a cell, completely alone. Rey closed her eyes, as she waited for the inevitable.

“Stop!”

Rey’s eyes flew open. She turned slightly to see Hux glaring at the lead Stormtrooper. There was a fury on his face she had never seen before, on anyone. The Stormtrooper hesitated, lowering his weapon only a fraction.

“I said stop. She is not to be harmed.” Hux commanded. His tone was deadly, and clearly Rey was not the only one affected by it. The Stormtrooper pulled back, before taking aim at the locking mechanism of Hux’s cell. A single blast and the door rolled open.

Rey was becoming more confused by the second. Hux, on the other hand, seemed perfectly aware of what was happening. He strolled out of the cell, his face now calm. 

Moving in front of her, Hux crouched. His gaze travelled from her face to her shoulder. Rey’s eyes followed, and she saw the damage was worse than she thought. The shock must have kicked in, for she didn’t feel any pain at that moment. Rey watched as Hux extended his arm, almost as if he was contemplating touching the wound. Before he could, Rey’s right arm shot out and grabbed his. A beat passed, before Hux raised his eyes to hers.

“Last chance, Rey.” Hux’s voice was a whisper, keeping their conversation private. “Come with me.”

Part of Rey desperately wanted to give in. She could feel the Dark Side calling her, stronger than ever. It would be so easy; all she would have to do would be trail her grip down Hux’s arm, and grab his hand. The General could take her away from Luke and his manipulations and mistrust. 

But that would mean leaving Finn, and Poe, and Leia, and all the other friends she had made during her time here. She couldn’t abandon them, not like this.

“I can’t.”

Rey could have sworn she saw sadness in Hux’s eyes, but he blinked, and it was gone. 

“Very well.” Hux gently removed his arm from her grip. “My offer will stand, always.”

With that Hux stood, and retreated with his men in tow. Rey collapsed completely, succumbing to the pain, exhaustion, and confusion that was slowly swallowing her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And chapter 4 is done! I apologise for the length, originally it was just going to be Rey's thoughts and feelings but then Hux started talking about his past and ya boy does. not. shut. up. Aha, anyway hope you enjoyed, next chapter will be Hux's POV!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First Hux POV chapter!

Stepping off the shuttle, Hux felt relieved to finally be back aboard his Finalizer. He took a deep breath as he waited for the Stormtroopers to pass by him. Normally he would already be halfway to the bridge, but he needed a moment alone to collect his thoughts. The mission hadn’t been a failure as such, but if his instincts were wrong, and Rey didn’t end up joining them …

Hux shook his head, dismissing those thoughts immediately. There was no time to or point in second-guessing himself. He knew he had planted a seed of doubt in the young woman, and that she had been so close to taking his hand and leaving the Resistance base with him. If she was willing to join him then, then surely the space between Rey and Skywalker would only continue to grow, and soon enough she would be by his side.

His solitude and thoughts were cut short, however. 

The General heard him before he saw him; those heavy footfalls that could only belong to one man. The bane of his existence. Sure enough, when Hux re-focused his gaze, he saw Kylo Ren stalking towards him. Squinting, Hux could see the scar now adorning his face. He smirked as he remembered how proud Rey had been at inflicting that upon Ren, and how confident she was that she could have killed him that night in the snow. Having now met her and seen her in battle, Hux was ready to believe her arrogance, and found himself wishing, not for the first time, that she had gone through with it.

Ren stopped a few feet in front of him, and Hux was surprised to see a sadness in his eyes that had never been there before. He had seen anger, disappointment, regret, and even embarrassment, particularly when Hux walked in on Ren being scolded by the Supreme Leader. But never had he seen sadness. 

“Where is the girl?” Ren was more soft-spoken than he had ever been, and it filled Hux with even more confusion. Rey had very nearly killed the Knight, and yet he seemed so forlorn at her absence. The man was clearly very damaged, but that was nothing new.

“She chose to stay with her so-called friends, for now.” Hux squared his shoulders, powering through before Ren could interrupt. “But I am confident that with time, she will come to see the truth in my words, and will choose to join us as we-“

Hux suddenly felt his throat begin to tighten, cutting off his speech and breath. Glancing down, Hux saw Ren’s hand clenched into a fist. His anger flared; this wasn’t the first time Ren had choked him using the Force, and yet it still managed to infuriate him. It was so demeaning, especially in such an open, public space. The man was born with a clear advantage over Hux, and liked to remind him of it constantly. 

Hux had suffered plenty of humiliation in his life, especially in his youth. But there was something about being controlled by the Force that was a thousand times worse than simply being beaten up by older children and adults who thought you should do better. He was fighting with both hands tied behind his back, while his opponent only had to lift a finger to send him flying across the room. Which Ren had done. Several times.

As he tried to reign in his anger, Ren spoke again.

“You were supposed to bring her back, with you.” 

Even in his breathless state, Hux still caught the hesitation at the end of Ren’s sentence. Almost as if he had had to stop himself from saying ‘to me’.

Ren’s arrogance was insufferable. Surely he understood that there was a reason he wasn’t sent to convince Rey to join them. The Knight was too emotional; not to mention the last time he was face-to-face with Rey, she almost removed his. Hux meanwhile had the skill and charm to convince the young Force user that she was on the wrong side.

Well, it was no matter what Ren believed. When Rey eventually came around, Hux would make it his personal mission to make sure she preferred him. Not that that would be an exceptionally difficult task, but Hux was excited by the challenge anyway. His first challenge, however, was making sure Ren didn’t end him here and now.

“I find a person who has made their own decision a much more amenable partner than a prisoner.” 

Ren’s eyes searched his as he digested Hux’s words. Suddenly, the grip around his throat was released, and Hux struggled to stay standing. He took pride in the fact that he only swayed slightly, and didn’t even reach for his throat. Show you’re not affected by it, and maybe the joy will dissipate for Ren, Hux thought. Maybe he would be saved from this kind of humiliation in the future.

Or maybe, when Rey joined him, Hux could convince her to give Ren a taste of his own medicine every now and then.

“I hope you’re right, for your sake, General.” With that, Ren turned and retreated, and Hux was left standing alone in the middle of the hanger, mentally picturing all the gruesome deaths he wished he could inflict upon the insufferable child. 

A few moments passed before Hux finally moved away from the shuttle. Ignoring the need to head straight up to his bridge to check on things and re-assert himself, Hux instead moved towards his chambers. It had been a few days since he had changed his clothes and cleaned, and he was desperate to use the refresher.

On the way to his chambers, Hux tried to put Rey out of his mind. She would come around, but until then there was no point in worrying about her. Instead he thought about all he had learned about the Resistance. They knew where their base was, but that was nothing since they had already begun evacuation and relocation. Hux wished they could have sent reconnaissance ships after them, but that would cause Rey to doubt all his promises about a momentary truce. 

He had also discovered on the journey to the base that their best pilot, Poe Dameron, seemed to have a soft spot for the traitor, FN-2187. FN-2187, on the other hand, had embedded himself deeply into the Resistance. Interestingly, he had appeared to have been quite affected by Hux’s presence, which was something they could perhaps use against him. Hux knew well that when emotions were involved, judgement became clouded, and stupid mistakes were made. Perhaps if he was to send Phasma or his old team-mates after the traitor, then they would be able to end that worthless anomaly once and for all.

There was also the fact that the Resistance had found Skywalker, and he was helping them while training Rey. Hopefully when Rey joined him, she would be proficient enough with both the Force and her lightsaber that between herself and Ren, old Skywalker would be no match.

Hux’s steps faltered slightly as he entered his chambers. He had just realised what he had thought, and had been thinking since leaving the Resistance base. When considering the young scavenger, Hux’s mind would subconsciously supplement the phrase ‘join the First Order’ with ‘join him’. He needed to stop that, and fast, lest the Supreme Leader read his thoughts and believe Hux to be considering a mutiny. Moreover, there was the very real possibility that Snoke and Ren would take Rey away for further training or tests of her loyalty as soon as she arrived. If that happened, there would be no way for Hux to convince her to side with him if things ever went south with the Supreme Leader.

Moving into his refresher, Hux tried to stop his mind from burrowing deeper into that hole as he began stripping down. It was only then that he remembered that he was still wearing his ripped undershirt. Hux smirked as he re-lived Rey vaulting the table to begin undressing him, and the scramble of the Resistance leaders to get to them as Rey released him from the cuffs. 

Hux couldn’t help the shiver that crawled up his spine as he recalled Rey’s hands on his abdomen. The base hadn’t been too cold, and yet her hands had felt like fire, branding themselves onto his pale skin. Perhaps when she next helped him undress, she would be gentler with his clothes.

Stopping dead in his tracks, Hux was shocked at where his own thoughts went. No, he couldn’t start thinking like that. Rey was going to be an incredible asset to have, and would surely become his favourite of the First Order Force users - not that there was much competition - but to start viewing her in a different, and dare he say it, romantic light was simply unacceptable. It would complicate things beyond what he could imagine. 

Hux shook his head as he turned on the spray. Stepping underneath, he tried in vain to clear his mind of Rey, and instead fill it with thoughts about all the things he would have to catch up on after being gone for a few days. There were several high level officers he would need to speak with immediately, and Phasma would want a run-down of the mission. He also needed to ascertain where his Finalizer would be sent next. Surely there was a planet they needed to bring to submission. Anything to keep his mind from wandering.

When he had finished, Hux stepped back into his bedchambers and quickly dressed. He had spent far too much time away from his bridge, and was suddenly feeling very anxious to return. Though he would never admit it, he desperately needed some sense of normalcy. 

He also had the urge to bury himself so deep in his work that the thought of Rey would never be able to dig him out.

Speaking of Rey, Hux found himself hesistating before leaving his chambers. Slowly making its way through the back of his mind was this feeling he couldn’t describe. It was almost like an unseen presence with him, attempting to read his thoughts. He knew it wasn’t the Supreme Leader or Ren; they didn’t care to hide when they invaded his thoughts. It was almost agonising at times. But this was different. It was lighter, somehow. Like the person in his mind was being cautious, like they were afraid of being somewhere they shouldn’t. It was almost like she was there, standing behind him -

Hux twirled, yet no one was there. Fighting the urge to call out like a child, Hux took a few steps back into his room. His eyes searched, but there was no one to be found. He couldn’t hear breathing, or footsteps, or anything that would indicate another person being near. And yet, he could still feel … something.

“Rey?”

Silence greeted his question, and Hux scoffed at himself. He was being stupid. Turning, Hux finally left his chambers, and hurried towards the bridge, trying desperately to shake the feeling of being watched. He also pushed down the guilt that was trying to rear its head at his disappointment. 

Despite knowing that there was no one there, Hux couldn’t help but wonder if he wasn’t imagining things. Especially since the feeling stayed with him for the next hour or so while he tended to things on the bridge. When he finally realised it had dissipated, Hux felt strangely empty. Lonely, almost. 

He didn’t entirely understand what had happened to him, but as he gazed out of the viewport at the stars, he had the most peculiar feeling that it had a little something to do with a certain woman, halfway across the galaxy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed that insight into the General himself. I love writing for Hux but I find him to be a hard character to pin down, so please let me know if there are any glaring issues. Back to Rey for the next chapter!
> 
> Also my main note for this chapter was:   
> \- He also realises he should probably stop saying ‘join him’ and instead start thinking ‘join the First Order’. Ya boy is falling y’all. 
> 
> (This isn't gonna suddenly turn into full-blown Reyux, but lbr, who wouldn't start falling for Rey the minute they met her?? Legit everyone in Force Awakens fell in love within a few minutes, characters and audience alike aha).


	6. Chapter 6

She shouldn’t have done it. Rey knew it wasn’t right, and that if it was discovered she would be in serious trouble. Not to mention the fact that it wasn’t what one of the supposed good guys should even think about doing. Maybe if she had wanted inside information, or to spy on the First Order. But Rey couldn’t even convince herself that that was her true motivation.

No, in truth she had reached out to Hux for personal reasons. The first time she had done it, less than a day after he had left their base, Rey had wanted to make sure that his words were true. She wanted to ensure that his offer was a genuine one, and that he wasn’t a vastly different person when amongst his fellow officers.

What she had felt was a frustrated man who, at his core, truly believed in his goals. He might not have the most ethical plans or intentions, but Rey could tell Hux genuinely wanted to bring order to the galaxy. What worried her was that he seemed to be fine with using whatever means necessary to achieve that end. Perhaps if she joined him, she could change his mind and offer more passive routs to peace.

That thought alone should have started warning bells in Rey’s mind. It should have deterred her from ever reaching out to Hux again, from ever thinking about him and his offer. But despite a part of her mind screaming that it was wrong - a part which sounded an awfully lot like Luke, if she was being honest - Rey had an overwhelming curiosity, an itch that was begging to be scratched. She needed to continue reaching out to Hux. She couldn’t explain it, but there was something calming about sharing someone else’s mind. 

When Kylo Ren had invaded her mind to find Luke, it had been a discomfort at best, incredibly painful and violating at worst. But Rey tried to be as gentle as she could. Not an invading force, but a peaceful neighbour, just sitting at the back of Hux’s mind, feeling only what he didn’t care to hide or repress. Silent fury at Kylo Ren and sometimes the Supreme Leader. Pride at the results of his Stormtrooper program. Determination to succeed, to prove himself. A drive to achieve his goals, no matter the cost.

Rey was surprised to find they had more similarities than she would have thought. Hux shared her work ethic, always putting the job before personal health and wellbeing. It reminded Rey of her life on Jakku, the constant physical and mental exhaustion, and how she had sometimes starved herself for days at a time just to finish a job and find a good haul. While Hux wasn’t rummaging his way through wrecked Star Destroyers, he was pushing his body and mind to their absolute limits. It seemed to Rey that the man hardly slept, hardly ate, and hardly thought about anything else apart from his work.

In fact, the only other consistent thing the General’s mind strayed to appeared to be her. 

At first, when Hux’s mind wandered, he seemed to think only of when she would turn and join the First Order. He appeared confident that it was only a matter of time. As the weeks passed, however, Rey felt his certainty waning. There would be occasional moments of panic, where Hux briefly considered the consequences he would face should Rey choose to stay with the Resistance. Rey couldn’t tell exactly what those consequences would be, but from how quickly Hux pushed them aside, she knew they would be dire. There also became times when, no matter how hard she tried, Rey simply couldn’t reach him.

Seeing as how it had been almost a month since their encounter, Rey had presumed Hux would begin to resent her for her apparent choice. There definitely seemed to be more pain and anger on his end. But strangely, she never felt any animosity towards her. Instead, whatever emotion Hux was feeling whenever she reached out would calm almost instantly. She couldn’t explain it, but Rey felt as though he recognised her presence, and was comforted by their connection.

It didn’t make much sense, but then Rey shouldn’t have been that surprised. After all, she was comforted by it too. It was a pleasant escape from the torture her daily life had become. 

Ever since Hux and the First Order had come to their base on Corellia, Luke had been avoiding her. Rey initially thought it was because of the chaos of evacuating their old base and transporting everything and everyone to their new base in the deep forests of Kashyyyk. Once that was taken care of, and everything had settled down again, Rey was sure that her training would begin again, same as always.

She soon found however, that Luke would attempt to come up with as many excuses as possible to stall her training. Rey tried to brush it off, and continue her exercises without guidance. Yet it quickly became clear that there was no way for her to master her abilities without Luke’s help. She confronted him one night, and when he brushed her off once again, Rey accidentally lost control. 

Rolling over in her bunk, Rey squeezed her eyes shut as she remembered that night. How she had felt her anger spike higher than it had ever gone, how she had called Luke a stupid old fool, so focused on his past failures that he couldn’t see his current mistakes. 

Rey felt like such an idiot. But the worst thing wasn’t that she had exploded in front of her Master. It was the fact that Luke just stood there, taking it. He never attempted to stop her tirade, or defend himself in any way. He simply stared at her, this defeated look pooling in his eyes. When she had finished, the old Jedi sighed, before moving to leave the room.

Just before he did, he uttered something that cut Rey right to her core.

“You promised you wouldn’t fail me, like he did. But you were wrong. You’re just like Ben, and I can’t teach you anymore.”

Groaning as she desperately tried to push those memories to the back of her mind, Rey rolled onto her other side. But that turned out to be another bad decision. Now she could see her whole room, and although it was crumpled in the corner, Hux’s overcoat still taunted her. As much as she had tried to get rid of it, Rey just couldn’t bring herself to. Especially since she had begun sharing his thoughts. On the other hand it was getting more and more difficult to have around, as it was a physical reminder of her indecisiveness.

More than that, it represented all of Rey’s darkest thoughts that seemed to grow with each passing day. Thoughts about Luke’s abandonment of her, and about how the whole base had turned against her, almost overnight. The only two people that treated her the same as always were Finn and Chewie, but lately even Finn had been avoiding her. Poe and Leia had already taken Luke’s side against her. They now treated her just as a subordinate, not a friend.

Faced with days of isolation and feelings of being unwanted by pretty much everybody, it shouldn’t have been such a shock to Rey that she found peace in reaching out to Hux. At least he genuinely desired to have her around, whether for the good of the galaxy or for his own self preservation, Rey wasn’t entirely sure. But it was nice to be wanted, to be thought about in a semi-positive light. Perhaps that was why she couldn’t quit him.

Suddenly feeling suffocated by the weight of her thoughts, Rey shot out of her bunk. She quickly threw clothes on and headed out of her room, not giving Hux’s coat another glance. Rey desperately needed to clear her head, so she set out for a brisk walk around the base. 

As she moved through the corridors, she tried not to notice the way her fellow officers would turn away when she passed. She tried not to notice the way conversations died then suddenly revived once they thought she was out of ear-shot. A few brave ones made eye contact, but the look in their eyes was either one of fear or hate. Rey couldn’t bring herself to smile, so she continued on her way, her eyes downcast. It was a ruse to hide how alone and hurt she felt, although Rey didn’t know how effective it was. 

Not even bothering to look up to see where she was going, Rey let herself wander. Staring at the compact dirt beneath her feet and counting how many crushed leaves she passed served to keep her mind away from the dark hole it was perpetually on the edge of.

Eventually, however, Rey completely lost track of where she was. Glancing up, her heart sunk as she realised she was near the command centre. It would be manned by only a few officers this late at night, but Rey still didn’t want to walk through it. It might raise questions, and since most of the base thought she was secretly working for the First Order already, Rey couldn’t even afford to be seen near it.

She turned quickly, trying to appear calm and steady. Attempting to control her breathing, Rey paused as she heard voices coming from one of the rooms just ahead. It could be nothing, or it could be something. Maybe she could finally know what the plan was, since no one bothered to keep her updated anymore. Stopping entirely, Rey closed her eyes and reached out to see if she recognised the voices. 

Her heart slammed to a halt as she practically threw herself against the wall. No, it couldn’t be the twins, could it? Why would they be meeting here, in secret, in the middle of the night? Of course, it might not be secret - Rey wasn’t privy to that kind of information anymore - but something felt off. She crept forward as gently and as quietly as she could. If Luke felt even a flutter of her presence nearby …

Reaching the doorway, Rey leaned in as close as she dared. She wasn’t even sure that she wanted to hear their conversation. It might be about something completely separate from herself, something banal and not worth her time. But somehow she knew that if she left now, she would regret it for the rest of her life. Squeezing her eyes shut, Rey began to listen.

“Let me just get this straight. She talked with him, he was able to escape, and now you think there’s no hope left? Damn it, she took a blast in her arm to stop them from taking him.” Leia appeared confused, and Rey’s lungs constricted. They were talking about her, they had to be.

“You’re not understanding.” Luke sounded frustrated. “She’s beginning to turn, I can feel it.”

“What exactly are you basing this off, Luke?” Now Leia sounded angry. Rey felt a bit of hope flair at the fact that Leia appeared to be on her side. Or at least, she wasn’t ready to completely turn against her yet.

A hand slammed on the table. “On your son!”

There was silence for a moment, and Rey wasn’t sure how Leia would respond. She wished she could see the General’s face. 

“What do you mean?” Leia asked, calmly. 

Luke sighed. “I felt the darkness growing in Ben, as I do in Rey now. I thought I could help him, and bring him back. But he was too far gone, and now I fear Rey is headed the exact same way.”

Rey worked quickly to cool the anger that suddenly spiked in her. Luke thought he was dealing with a lost cause. He assumed that she would be like Kylo Ren, and wasn’t even bothering to try to reach out to her. He was giving up without a second thought.

“I see.” Rey felt the sadness in Leia’s voice like a stab to her chest. “So what do you propose we do?”

Rey tensed, wishing against all hope that Luke suggested something reasonable. Like perhaps talking to her about how she felt? Or perhaps attempting to make her feel welcome again so she didn’t go past the point of no return? It wasn’t to be, however.

“She’s too dangerous to be kept on the base.”

Again, there was silence as Leia mulled over what Luke had said. It took everything in Rey’s power to remain standing. They wouldn’t, they couldn’t, send her away. After a few moments, Leia spoke again.

“I will never kill one of my own, especially not Rey.” 

Rey started shaking. Kill her? Would Luke truly do such a thing? Would Leia let him? Rey’s basic instincts kicked in, shutting her emotions out so she could think clearly. Immediately, she started planning an escape route. If Luke came for her now, he would see that she wasn’t in her quarters. She needed to leave, to get as far away from the base as possible. To leave on her own terms would be far better than anything Luke had in store for her. But where would she go? Before her thoughts could go too far, Luke revealed his plan.

“I hope it won’t come to that. But she can’t be here. We need to either lock her up, or send her far away.”

“Luke …”

“I know.” Luke’s voice dropped to almost a whisper. Rey could tell that he was holding Leia in his arms. “I wish it hadn’t come to this.”

Now was her chance. While they were briefly distracted, Rey could make a break for it. All she needed was a few supplies from her room, then she could steal a ship and get away before anyone noticed she was gone. Pushing away from the wall, Rey took off down the corridor. She ran faster than she ever had in her life, afraid to stop and let the reality of what was happening sink in. She could think about a long-term plan, Finn, and Chewie later. 

It only took a few minutes for her to arrive back at her room. Rey grabbed a bag, and started wildly throwing clothes inside. She also made sure to clip her lightsaber onto her belt; there was no way she was leaving that behind. When she thought she had everything, Rey turned back towards the door. However, something stopped her. She retreated back into her room, and grabbed Hux’s coat from the corner. Not giving herself a chance to think about it, she stashed it in her bag before grabbing her staff.

Now, to make it outside without being spotted.

It took some serious patience, as well as using the Force to throw a few things to get guards to move out of the way, but Rey eventually emerged from the base. She headed towards the clearing where the ships were docked, hoping that Luke and Leia hadn’t made it to her room yet. Or better yet, were going to wait until morning to deal with her.

Moving onto the makeshift platform, Rey began assessing her options. As much as she had become attached to the Falcon, it was far too big and attention-seeking to steal away on. Instead, she chose an X-Wing, one she knew to have the best cloaking system in the fleet. Rey remembered the day Poe had taken her through all the ships the Resistance had. He had let her fly whatever she wanted, and had been impressed with her skill, laughing and cheering her on.

Pushing that memory down, deep into the recesses of her mind, Rey jumped into the cockpit. She would only have a few seconds after firing up the engine before she was spotted. Taking a deep breath, Rey steeled herself for what was ahead. All she had to do was get above the planet, engage cloaking, and jump into hyperspace. She wouldn’t need a large jump, just something to get her out of range of the Resistance for a little while. From there, she could decide what to do.

Rey brought the X-Wing to life, and suddenly loud alarms began blaring outside. Ignoring them and the shouts from the guards, Rey silently wished Finn and Chewie goodbye. One day, perhaps, they would meet again. But under what circumstances, Rey wasn’t sure. 

Not giving herself a chance to second-guess her decision, Rey quickly pulled away from the base, and headed up into the unknown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ouch. If this chapter feels rushed, that's because it is. Rey can be pretty impulsive imo, and wouldn't give herself time to think. I was going to have her run into Finn while leaving the base, but idk, it didn't feel right. Hope you're still enjoying the fic, let me know either way. Onto chapter 7!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back to Hux's POV!

Damn Kylo Ren. Damn Snoke. Damn everybody and everything in the entire universe.

Hux’s expression was one that would strike fear into the hearts of even the most courageous men. His officers openly moved out of his way, but Hux didn’t even deign to notice them; he was using all his energy to walk in a straight line and not stumble. Desperate to keep up the facade, he willed himself to move faster and reach his chambers before he collapsed into a pathetic heap in the middle of the corridor.

He fumbled over his personal code, and thanked the stars that there was no one around to witness it. Reigning in his frustration, he finally punched in the correct combination, and threw himself through the doorway. Using his last shred of energy, Hux moved towards his bunk, before toppling onto the covers. He couldn’t even reach down to remove boots.

Tossing one arm over his eyes, Hux vainly attempted to control the headache that was threatening to split his skull in two. Now that he was within the safety of his rooms, the pain was becoming almost unbearable. The cracks in his strong exterior were deepening, and Hux knew it was only a matter of minutes before he broke entirely. He needed to take meds, and fast.

He reached blindly towards the table beside his bunk, looking for the small bottle he had become so accustomed to seeing day in and day out. Hux knew he was depending on the artificial help too much, but the pain he had been enduring as of late warranted drastic measures. Ever since two weeks had elapsed after his mission to the Resistance, Snoke had made it his personal business to make sure Hux paid the price for his assumed failure. He never went too far as to mercifully end his suffering once and for all; no, he was far too venomous for such a thing. Instead, he brought Hux to the brink of madness for a few moments each day, stretching and tearing his mind farther than it should ever go. It was agony, and it felt to Hux as though each second was an eternity. 

But Snoke couldn’t afford to torture him for eternity. He made sure Hux was able to get back to work as soon as possible, but with a physically aching reminder of how dispensable he was.

Hux hated him. He hated Snoke and the years he had devoted to that wretched creature. He hated Kylo Ren, and how the man simply stood by and let him be torn apart. He hated that, despite the fact that he was the third-highest ranking officer in the First Order, and that he had personally been responsible for much of the Order’s success, he remained Snoke’s punching bag. He was a tool, being used for a greater purpose, only to be tossed aside when someone better came along. For now, there was no one climbing the ranks in a way that made Hux concerned. But there would be eventually, especially if Rey ever decided to join the party.

Thinking of Rey helped to sooth his suffering slightly. As much as Hux despised his current predicament and daily torture, what he hated most was the fact that he could never bring himself to resent Rey. The girl had seared herself into his mind, knowingly or not. He wasn’t sure how to explain it; somehow he instinctively knew that it was her presence he would feel every few days. It was never an invasion, nor was it a hidden attack to expose his greatest weaknesses and flaws. It was a gentle companionship, and it worked to calm him more that would ever care to admit. 

The only thing that confused Hux was why Rey was even reaching out in the first place. Had her existence become as bleak as his own? Was she regretting not leaving with him? Or was there an ulterior motive? In his darkest hours, Hux wondered whether the Skywalker twins had set her up to this; getting him to trust that feeling she brought, only to have her yank his mind’s defences away and get him to reveal all. But he could never understand what purpose that would serve. The Resistance had him in their clutches before, and yet here he was, back with the First Order. Beside that, he was only a single man. Of course, he knew he was an incredibly important figure, but he didn’t delude himself into believing that the Supreme Leader trusted him with everything. 

There would be no strategy to the Resistance’s plan if this was a mission they had assigned to Rey. Some days it infuriated him that he didn’t have a simple answer. Some days he took peace in the perception that maybe, just maybe, she needed the connection as much as he did. 

To others, the dependance he now had on the mental contact with Rey might have been a vulnerability to be snuffed out. To the Supreme Leader, it would be a betrayal. Kylo Ren, on the other hand, might have been jealous, judging by his reaction when he realised Hux had returned to the Finalizer without the young scavenger. 

To Hux, it was the one bright spark he had left in the universe. If only it could be more, and she could be with him, here, in the flesh. He would no longer have to endure Snoke’s torment. Moreover, he would have a physical anchor, an attachment that would perhaps reinvigorate his passion for the Order and the goals they had set out to achieve.

In his heart, however, Hux couldn’t deny that having Rey by his side would be the ultimate victory, in more ways than one.

Shoving that thought aside, Hux thrust his hand out once again, renewing his search for the bottle. In his haste, he accidentally knocked it off the table. He waited for the inevitable crash and scattering sound of the pills hitting the floor. But strangely, it never came. Instead, there was a warm feeling close to his hand, and suddenly Hux felt the bottle being lightly pressed into his open palm.

“You look terrible.”

Hux shot upwards, his arm falling away from his eyes. Blinking rapidly, Hux felt his heart thunder out of control as he took in the sight before him. It was Rey, kneeling beside his bunk, smiling cautiously up at him. She couldn’t be here, it just wasn’t possible.

All the sentences Hux had considered greeting her with when she joined him where quickly disregarded. His brain simply couldn’t form anything of coherence. Nothing was clicking besides the fact that she was here.

“Rey?” Hux slowly swung his legs over the side of his bunk. The temptation to brush her arm with his knee was almost overwhelming, but at the same time, Hux was terrified that she would disappear if he did. That he would realise it was only his sad imagination.

“Hi.” Rey raised her hand in a tentative wave. She appeared nervous, almost scared. Surely she didn’t think he would ever turn on her. 

It surprised Hux to find that thought rang true. He wouldn’t turn on her. But that train of thought wasn’t helping anyone. And it still didn’t explain what was happening - all Hux knew was this definitely wasn’t an illusion. It couldn’t be.

“I don’t understand.” Hux scanned Rey’s face, and he began to see a small haze that surrounded her. Something was definitely off. “How can you be here?”

Rey looked away, and Hux swore there was sadness in her eyes, if only for a moment. “I’m not. Not really. It’s just a projection.”

“Oh.” Hux’s heart dropped. “Then where are you? Still with the Resistance I suppose?”

To his surprise, Rey’s expression turned to stone. She turned back towards him, and there was a new fire in her eyes. Something had changed between her and her friends, something that had altered her forever. It was a look of betrayal that Hux knew well, for he saw it every time he saw his reflection.

“No.” Rey’s voice was like ice. “You were right. They showed their true colours. They gave up on me.”

Hope flared within Hux’s chest. Could Rey finally be seeing the light? Of course, he wished that it was her decision to leave the Resistance, and not a last resort due to being abandoned. At this point however, he would take anything. Hux might not have been her first choice, but he found he truly didn’t give a damn. To have Rey by his side at last would make his suffering over the past weeks worth it. Every second would have been for something.

Hux forced himself to return to the conversation at hand. There had to be a reason she was reaching out to him, specifically. But if he asked directly, he was afraid he might scare her off. Better to take a more tactful approach, and take what he was given rather than push for what she wasn’t willing to divulge. 

“What happened?” Hux moved closer, still not daring to make contact. Now he knew she wasn’t really there, he didn’t want to do anything to jeopardise Rey’s concentration. 

Rey stared at the dark greys of his bedcovers, her hand tracing invisible lines just above it. Hux noted that her hand never actually touched the material.

“After you left the base, Luke started avoiding me. I thought he was just busy with the evacuation. But as the weeks passed he still refused to train me.” Rey’s eyes met his, and Hux felt anger tug at him as he saw the tears pooling there. “I overheard him and Leia. They were going to send me away. I had to leave, I couldn’t let them abandon me.”

Rey’s voice was the softest sound Hux had ever heard. He understood why she had left; choosing to do something always felt better than being coerced. Feeling as though you were in control worked to lessen the sting of a hard decision.

“I’m sorry.” Hux was surprised to find he truly meant it.

“Don’t be.” Rey’s eyes left his once more. “I was wondering, I mean, I came here to see if your offer to join you still stands?”

Hux was suddenly reverted into an innocent child, filled with the almost uncontrollable urge to punch the air in victory. He was right, she was ready to join him. It might have taken longer than he wanted, and longer than he expected, but she was coming. She was going to willingly stand by his side. Hux knew that once she was beside him, there wouldn’t be anything in the galaxy that would make him move her away. He would never knowingly abandon her, and would ensure that she never felt unwanted or uncared for ever again. 

All his plans were clicking back into place, followed by a few new ones he barely dared to dream of. With Rey, he finally stood a chance against Snoke. He might finally be able to rid himself of the tyrannical monster and his apprentice, and shape the galaxy into what he always dreamed it could be. Hux’s head felt dizzy with ideas, but first and foremost he needed to get to Rey before either the Resistance or Ren found her.

“Of course it does, my dear. When I told you it would always stand, I meant it.” Hux stared deeply into Rey’s eyes, willing her to see the truth behind his words. He knew she did when a genuine smile broke out on the young scavenger’s face.

“Thank you.” The sincerity in Rey’s voice was astounding. “Now, I need you to come get me.”

Hux forced himself to remain still, as much as his heart wanted to leap from his bunk and prepare for travel immediately. 

“What do you mean?” Hux tried to sound indifferent, but he knew some of his inner joy had leaked into his voice. His tone was more playful than it had ever been, which wasn’t saying much if he thought about it.

“Well I couldn’t exactly fly straight up to a Star Destroyer in an X-Wing, could I?” Now it was Rey’s turn to be cheeky. Hux understood her logic, however. It would cause too much suspicion, and he didn’t trust his lieutenants and cannon-operators to not get trigger-happy at the sight of a lone Resistance fighter. Also, there would be a chance that Ren would get to her first, which could compromise everything Hux had worked for. No, he would go to her, no matter where she was.

“Of course not.” Hux smirked. “So where shall our rendezvous take place?”

“First, you have to promise to come alone.” The playfulness was gone from Rey’s voice. 

“Why alone, my dear?”

A smirk identical to his own made it’s way onto Rey’s features. “A pledge of good faith.”

Hux couldn’t help but let out a bark of laughter at his own promise being repeated back to him. He briefly contemplated taking men anyway, and leaving them at a safe distance. But surely Rey wouldn’t be fooled, and it could cost him greatly in terms of earning her trust and respect. He would abide by her wishes, despite a small, rational part of him screaming not to.

Besides, it would be infinitely more satisfying to see Ren’s face when he brought in Rey alone.

“I can’t argue with that.” Hux stood, and Rey followed suit. “Now, where are you?”

“Dantooine. There’s a cantina in the centre of Dantoo Town, can’t miss it. Meet me there in twelve hours.” 

Hux wasn’t surprised that she had picked a planet known for it’s old Republic and Rebellion affiliation. It would have deterred him from bringing his own men, if he hadn’t already decided not to bring them. It was also only a small area, and a large group arriving at the same time would bring attention he didn’t need. Hux smirked; he knew Rey was smart, but this was only solidifying the fact.

“Very well. I look forward to seeing you there, my dear Rey.” 

Rey granted him one more smile, before her projection faded out. Seeing her disappear would have maybe brought a small bit of sadness, if Hux wasn’t already moving. His mind was buzzing with the quick preparations he would need to go through. 

The Finalizer was currently situated a few clicks away from Rakata Prime, so it wouldn’t take long for him to reach Dantooine. He would keep the ship stationed there, and take a smaller, unmarked fighter. It may have seemed illogical to extend his travel time as the smaller vessel would not be able to travel as fast as his Finalizer, and he would surely have to refuel on Dantooine. But that simply meant more time alone with Rey, and Hux couldn’t bring himself to worry over how much that thought elevated his spirits further.

Moving swiftly from his chambers, Hux began making his way to the Operations room. There, he would find civilians clothes that would allow him to blend in on Dantooine. Hux couldn’t contain his excitement, nor could he stop to truly think about what he was doing. All he knew was that he had to be fast.

This was one meeting he could not afford to miss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Run, Hux, run! Hope you're still enjoying this, only one chapter to go!


	8. Chapter 8

If his crew thought his requests strange, they were wise to show nothing of it. Once Hux reached the Operations room and began gathering clothes, he radioed Phasma using their secure channel. He informed her that he would need an unmarked ship with enough fuel to get him to Dantooine. 

Hux didn’t offer any additional information, and Phasma didn’t ask. After years of working side-by-side, they had learned to trust each other. Beyond that, Hux mused, Phasma was also covering her ass by not knowing any specific details of his mission. From her perspective, if something went wrong, she could plausibly deny any involvement. Hux admired the Captain, more so than anyone else on the Finalizer. 

Having donned civilian clothes and left his uniform in a neat pile, Hux headed towards one of the smaller docking bays. There he would find Phasma’s men and a ship. As he walked, Hux finally took a moment to consider what he was doing. He was prepared to fly halfway across the galaxy to meet with a woman who might not even come with him. Hell, the whole thing could be a trap for all he knew. And yet, somehow, he believed Rey was sincere in her request. After all, if she had truly wanted to capture him for the Resistance, she would have reached out months ago.

Instead she had simply sat at the back of his mind as a constant, and quite frankly, calming presence. She had never tried to pry, or to sneak into his innermost thoughts. All she had done was provide him with companionship, for which he was eternally grateful, especially during these last few weeks. No, the only things he had to fear right now were Snoke and Ren. He had no idea how they would react when he and Rey made it back. All he could do was hope that they appreciated Hux’s efforts and his ability to turn one of the First Order’s greatest enemies into one of their greatest assets. 

He couldn’t imagine that Ren would allow any harm to come to Rey, but Snoke on the other hand was a wild card. Hux could never predict what that foul creature was going to do next. Logic would dictate that having another powerful Force user fighting alongside them would be something to celebrate, but Hux was slightly worried Snoke might see her - and himself by extension - as a threat. 

Shaking his head, Hux tried to dismiss those thoughts as he entered the docking bay. There was only a skeleton crew, and they all kept their heads down and averted their eyes as he walked past. Smart. Hux stepped onto the sleek, unmarked ship that Phasma’s men had prepared. It was perfect; small but not cramped, and with a max speed that would get him to Dantooine with time to spare. 

Hux seated himself in the pilot’s chair and began the necessary take-off procedures. He briefly entertained the idea of sending a message to Snoke, informing him of his plans, but ultimately decided against it. No need for him to get involved; this was Hux’s victory, and he intended to claim it alone. 

Unfortunately, fate had other ideas. Someone, probably a lowly Lieutenant with vaulting ambition, must have sent word to Snoke that Hux had boarded the ship, as the Supreme Leader’s face suddenly appeared as a hologram, projected just above the console.

“General.” The anger in Snoke’s voice was palpable. “I believe you’re aware of the punishment that all deserters face. It was you, after all, that came up with that lovely idea.”

Hux attempted to keep his face as neutral as possible. Ah yes, death by incineration. In truth, that idea had mostly belonged to Phasma, but she insisted he take sole credit for it. At the time, he had been delighted to keep the praise all to himself. Now, he felt as though he regretted nothing else more. 

“Supreme Leader, I was about to reach out.” A blatant lie, and from Snoke’s smirk Hux knew he saw right through it. No matter. “I’ve received a message from the scavenger Rey. She’s ready to join us.”

“Then why are you leaving?”

Hux grit his teeth together, almost painfully. He could tell exactly what Snoke was doing - trying to get him to admit to traversing the galaxy on the whims of a Resistance fighter. The worst part was, there was no way around it. So Hux swallowed his pride, as he had done so many times before, and submitted to the inevitable embarrassment.

“She has requested that we meet on a neutral planet, and that I come alone to retrieve her.”

Snoke let out a bark of mocking laughter and Hux clenched his fists. His mantra of ‘Stay Calm’ was on repeat in his mind. It was the only way to get through with the nightmare that was dealing with the Supreme Leader. Let him have his superiority complex, Hux mused. If everything went to plan, the old fool would be gone, and the last thing he would see would be Hux standing over his broken body.

“And you bend over backwards to accomodate the whims of a scavenger?” Snoke’s laughter slowed. “Very well, General. You will bring the girl back, or you will not return at all.”

“Yes, Supreme Leader.” Hux turned away from the hologram, ready to be gone.

“General!” Hux froze as his breathing became restricted. Not again. “Know that the girl will be your responsibility. If she makes the slightest move against myself or my Apprentice, there won’t be a hole in the entire galaxy where I won’t find you.”

“Understood, Supreme Leader.” Hux choked out. 

Without another word, the hologram faded out and Hux’s airway cleared. He took deep, controlled breaths and desperately attempted to get his heartbeat back into a normal rhythm. He was sick and tired of being treated as a lowly dog. It was humiliating, even when he sat alone on a ship. 

No matter, Hux thought as he fired up the engines. Manuvering the ship out of the bay and into the endless abyss of space, Hux smirked to himself. The First Order was about to gain another powerful Force user, only this one would be loyal to him. Not to Snoke, and definitely not to Ren, but to him. 

—————————

Rey’s leg moved with increasing velocity the longer she sat. Gazing out at the patrons of the cantina, she could feel her anxiety rising with every moment. Hux had promised that he would come alone, but what if he didn’t? What if he brought an army with him? Or worse, what if Snoke and Ren had found out, and they came instead? The thought that she would have to fight her way off the planet, alone, with so many innocent civilians around was terrifying.

Not to mention the fact that even if she did manage to defeat Snoke and Ren, she would have nowhere to go. The First Order would be out for blood, and the Resistance had already shown her how little they cared. She would be a nobody once again, destined for nothing. Rey squeezed her eyes shut as she took several controlled breaths. If it came to that, all she knew was that there was no way she was going back to Jakku. She would find some small space, hidden away, to live out the rest of her days. 

It wasn’t ideal, and Rey felt nerves building up once again. She wasn’t sure if she could sit by while the war continued. Perhaps she could be a solo third party, intent on stopping the war by her own means. Someone who didn’t adhere to either the First Order or the Resistance. That plan sounded better than living in isolation, but it still didn’t feel right. 

The best Rey could hope for was if Hux walked through that door, alone. Glancing outside, Rey estimated that he had only a few more minutes before his twelve hours had elapsed. She returned her gaze to the purple drink in front of her. Rey smiled as she realised she had absolutely no idea what it was. It was a small reminder that there was so much in the galaxy that she had yet to see, yet to experience. Just another reason to help end the war, Rey thought. There was so much beauty and wonder and mystery to be found, and Rey hadn’t even scratched the surface.

“I wouldn’t drink that, if I were you.”

Rey felt relief washing over her as she looked up to see Hux sliding onto the seat across from her. He was wearing dark, normal clothes for once. If he had chosen to disguise his hair, Rey wasn’t sure she would have even recognised the man. 

“Hux.” Rey couldn’t help the smallest bit of joy that leaked into her voice. He was here, he had come just as he said he would. “You’ve come alone?”

“Of course, my dear.” Hux pretended to look offended. “I promised I would.”

“Thank you.” Rey reached out and briefly covered Hux’s hand with her own. He appeared slightly startled, and Rey retracted her hand quickly. She knew she probably shouldn’t have done that, but she needed him to know how sincere she was in her thanks. It was the first time in months that someone had wanted to see her, had made the effort to come and talk to her without being hostile. It meant more to Rey than she thought it would.

Hux cleared his throat, obviously thrown off. He recovered quickly however, as he gestured vaguely towards himself. “I apologise for my ragged appearance. I wanted to look my best but unfortunately the inhabitants of Dantooine wouldn’t take kindly to my normal attire.”

“That’s why I picked it.”

“I thought as much.”

Rey had thought Hux might be angered at her choice of a neutral planet, but he seemed … impressed? Rey couldn’t help the spike of pride that went through her. She also realised that her heart had slowed significantly after Hux had appeared, allowing her to have a clear mind for the first time since she had left the Resistance. 

“Have you heard from the Resistance?” Hux’s voice was soft, and Rey knew it was because he had no idea if anyone was listening in on their conversation. Their innocent rendezvous could turn very bad very quickly if the patrons in the cantina deduced who they were. But beyond that, it almost seemed as if the General didn’t want to bring her betrayal up, almost as if he wanted to spare her from talking about something so hurtful. Rey ignored the slight butterflies in her stomach at that thought.

“No.” Her gaze left Hux, and travelled down to her glass. “I’m not sure if they’ve realised I’m missing, or if they care. I didn’t even bring my comm, I only had a chance to grab a few things before I left. Which reminds me…”

Rey reached down under the table and grabbed a small bag she had brought. All her other things were in the concealed fighter in the forest, but this she had to bring for reasons she couldn’t even explain to herself. Placing it on the table, Rey gently slid it across to a confused Hux. 

“You forgot this.”

As subtly as he could, Hux lifted the flap and glanced inside. Rey watched as his eyes showed confusion, realisation, and enjoyment all in quick succession. He let out a small bark of laughter as he reached out towards the coat neatly folded in the bag.

“Well I wanted to leave you something to remember me by.” Hux’s eyes twinkled as he met her gaze, and Rey laughed at the ridiculousness of them both. 

As Rey’s laughter died, there was a small stretch of silence between the unlikely pair. It seemed as though both were trying in vain to delay their inevitable exit from the cantina, and into the clutches of reality. If they could only live in this moment of solace for a little while longer, maybe their demons, both literal and metaphorical, wouldn’t find them.

Eventually, however, the moment ended, and Hux sighed. “I suppose we should get going. If I’m gone too long Snoke will probably think I’ve deserted for you.”

While Hux prepared to move, Rey’s confusion kept her in her seat. Why would Hux phrase it like that? Surely it would have made more sense for Snoke to believe that she had lured him into a trap, making Rey and the Resistance the bad guys. But instead, he made it seem like Snoke was already suspicious of Hux’s loyalty - almost as if Hux had given him a reason to believe he would turn for her.

Reaching out, Rey grabbed Hux’s arm before he could stand. She ignored his confused look, and stared the General straight in the eye.

“Why would you say that?”

“What are you talking about?” Hux’s voice was light, but his eyes evaded Rey’s. She felt his arm tense up under her grip.

“Why would Snoke think you would defect?”

“Rey …” There was a warning in Hux’s voice, but Rey shoved it aside. She was about to agree to walk into the depths of hell with this man, and she would be damned if she let him keep things from her.

“Tell me, Hux.”

“Armitage.” Hux looked sheepish, even embarrassed.

“What?” Most of Rey’s anger dissipated, and confusion quickly took its place.

“It’s my name. Armitage Hux.” 

Hux’s arm still felt tense, but now Rey knew it was for a different reason. He was opening up to her in a way he probably hadn’t in a long time. His title as General and the persistent use of his last name only must have been a kind of armour, used to keep subordinates in their place. Rey mused that he must have also used it to build distance not only between himself and others, but between the man he truly is and the persona he presented to the galaxy. It touched Rey that he was sharing this with her, but she wasn’t a fool.

“It suits you.” Hux’s eyes regained some of their sparkle at the compliment. “But you’re avoiding the question, Armitage.”

Hux - Armitage - smirked, before his face fell again. “I suppose if we’re going to be working together we have to trust each other.” Armitage took a deep breath, before continuing. “After my mission to turn you didn’t produce immediate results, Snoke became angry. Even more so than usual. When two weeks had passed without word from you, he decided punishment was in order.”

Rey watched as a shadow overtook Armitage’s face. She could imagine the kind of punishment the psychotic creature would have put him through.

“Soon, it stopped being punishment and became a game. All I had to do was admit that you weren’t joining us, and it would end. But I couldn’t do that.” Armitage finally looked at her, and the pain in his eyes hit Rey like a punch to the gut. Her grip on his arm loosened, and turned into a comfort. “Admitting that would have been admitting to my own failure, however I believe he took it to mean that I had developed an unwavering faith in you.”

Rey felt tears building in the back of her eyes, and quickly blinked them away. This man was so stubborn, so intent on being right that he had endured torture at the hands of a creature he despised. The similarities between their personalities continued to astound Rey, as she realised she would have done the same in his position. If Luke had sent her to bring someone in and she hadn’t, Rey would have taken any treatment before conceding defeat to that old man.

“I understand, and I’m sorry Armitage. I had no idea.”

“It’s not your fault, my dear. Just don’t leave now, alright?” Someone else might have heard those words as a threat, but Rey knew they were a plea. Armitage was asking her to stand by his side from now on, to stay through thick and thin until they had achieved their goals. And despite everything, Rey knew that she would.

“I won’t.” Rey gripped Armitage’s arm once again, but this time in solidarity. Armitage smiled, and placed his hand over hers. They were forming a bond, and it felt different to the others Rey had made in her life. It was an unspoken agreement that no matter what lay in their future, they would face it together.

Their time on Dantooine was quickly coming to an end, and Rey knew they needed to move lest anyone became suspicious. Hux could be recognised at any moment, or the Resistance or Snoke could find them. The longer they stayed, the more danger they were in. And yet Rey couldn’t bring herself to leave without finding out a couple more things. 

“Before we go, will you answer one question?”

Armitage removed his hand and placed it back on the table. “Depends on the question.”

“Why me? And what plans do you have that you need me for?”

“That was two questions.” Armitage smirked.

“Please, Armitage. Tell me.” Rey knew she was pushing, but she had to know. The General sighed, and looked her straight in the eye. At first, Rey thought he wasn’t going to answer, but he quickly proved her wrong.

“In truth, I didn’t choose you. I was sent after you by Ren and Snoke. They believed you would be a valued asset to the Order. Myself, I was more skeptical. Until I met you.” Armitage’s eyes softening, and Rey knew he was remembering their first meeting in the interrogation room. “In our short time together on the Resistance base I found you to be determined, powerful, stubborn, decisive, intuitive, and lonely.”

“Lonely?” Rey scoffed. She had felt lonely later of course, but he met her before everything went downhill with the Resistance.

“It was very obvious your feelings towards Luke weren’t at all positive.” Armitage continued. “You had so much potential, and he was squandering it through his fear. It was like watching my relationship with my father. So I joined Snoke and Ren in their assessment that you would be of far better use on our side.”

“And the plans you have for me?” Rey was almost scared to hear the answer, but she was going to leave with him no matter what. Might as well know what she was truly getting herself into, beyond the overall goal of ending the war.

“I have not been privy to the trials that will be set before you by Snoke.” Armitage’s gaze evaded her own as he stared down at the table. Either he was lying, or he didn’t have to know the specifics to have a general idea of the fate that awaited her.

“I think I have a pretty good guess what those will be.” Rey didn’t mention that her guesses were coming from Armitage’s reaction. But that didn’t matter; whatever it was, she would endure it. “I’m asking what plans you have.”

“Clever as always, my dear.” Armitage raised his eyes to meet her own. “I have no solid ideas, but more of a vision of what we could accomplish together. For too long has Snoke poisoned my Order with his wretched dictatorship. He would allow the galaxy to burn before giving up his fight for power. But you and I could put a stop to it. You and I could return balance, and make right the wrongs of my father and your old master.”

Armitage’s passion was palpable, and Rey almost rose to her feet on the sheer awe she felt. He was talking about overthrowing the most powerful man in the galaxy, and Rey almost believed it could be done. 

“It would take time, perhaps years, to do what you’re thinking.” 

“But it’s possible.” Armitage grabbed her hand and pulled it away from his arm. He placed it on the table, and put both of his hands on top. “You truly have no idea how important and powerful you are. If we bide our time, learn, evaluate, and plan, we can cut the vines that are choking the galaxy. The planets and people that have suffocated for so long could thrive once again.”

Rey looked down at their hands, piled together. Armitage was right, it was possible. She glanced around at the mass of beings in the cantina, and for the first time since she had arrived she realised just how many different species currently surrounded them. This was what they would be fighting for - not for power or to rebuild outdated political structures. For the people.

And if Armitage ever got notions of seizing power for himself, well, Rey already knew she would ultimately do what was best for the galaxy. But for some reason, Rey truly believed it would never come to that. 

“I’m with you.” Rey returned her gaze to Armitage to find he was already looking at her. A smile broke out on his face, and Rey couldn’t help but return it.

It would take years, and there was no guarantee that they would both live to see the results. But they would find a proper way free the galaxy and its people, to stop the cycle of tyranny that had been circling for far too long. 

As they finally stood and exited the cantina together, Rey felt hope blossom in her chest. It had taken a long time, but now she decisively knew her true enemy, and with Armitage’s help, she would defeat Snoke, Ren, and the outdated systems that plagued the galaxy, once and for all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fin.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed that journey, please let me know your thoughts (even if you hated it - every comment makes me a better writer). I would say that there could easily be a sequel to this, but considering it took almost two years to get this bad boy out, I wouldn't be placing any bets.
> 
> I sincerely hope everyone who reads this is having an amazing day; you all deserve the absolute best. All my love xo


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